The Bayero University Kano (BUK) 1992 set of Alumni have called on religious leaders and political elites in Northern Nigeria to tackle the myriads of socio-economic ills hindering development in the region.
The call was made at the end of the forum’s Annual Conference in Kano, themed: “Addressing the social ills in Northern Nigeria- The Way Forward.”
The President of the forum Muhammad Dahiru Saad said that it was regrettable that the North is witnessing rampant and increasing rate of drug abuse, broken marriages, violent crimes, kidnapping, and religious extremism.
Saad said: “It is obvious that the best way to achieve moral decency and consciousness is through proper education, parental upbringing, communal efforts and intervention of law-enforcement agencies.
“The essence of the discussion is to awaken us to the enormity and magnitude of the problems and seek for practical solution.”
The Guest Speaker at the occasion, Dr. Kabiru Said Sufi lamented the poor leadership and ignorance failure of political actors to address the social ills in the North.
Dr. Sufi said: “We are disunited, and our elites are unnecessarily arrogant, selfish or delusional because we lack quality leadership and direction. We are continuously losing the positive culture, identity, and values in the cocoon of other cultures.”
The participants unanimously suggested that the North must return to the basics of communal living and community policing through restorations of positive values, respect for elders, societal reorientation and building a new positive culture.
Chairman Organisation Committee of Annual Re-Union event, ACP Naziru Bello Kankarofi said the annual lecture was part of the activities of the BUK 92 for this.
Kankarofi said: “This year we have provided N1,000,000 donation as scholarships to indigent students in Bayero University Kano; paid hospital bills for indigent cancer patients, especially poor children in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, paid fines for the release of prison inmates with lesser offences and provide relief items to other inmates and patients in the hospital.
The Vice-Chancellor of BUK, Yahuza Bello commended the BUK 92 forum for setting a path that alumni are now emulating.
“I am happy that you have started something that people see reason in it and are now doing the same. I recalled that 1981 set of the university are now doing something similar after you came last year.
“And with this, we would incorporate you into our various scholarship initiatives that BUK runs annually so that your efforts would be well recognised.”